ANGLO-RUSSIAN RELATIONS

Greymouth Evening Star, 2 August 1929, Page 5

ANGLO-RUSSIAN RELATIONS

CONFERENCE SUSPENDED AN EARLY DISAGREEMENT (Official Wireless.) I I I .» RUGBY, August 1. A communique issued by the Foreign Office states that the conversations which began in London on July 29, between Mr. Henderson, Foreign Secretary, and M. Dovgalevsky, the Soviet representative in Paris, on the subject of resumption of diplomatic relations between Great Britain and Russia will not be continued for the present. M. Dovgalevsky returned to Paris this morning. . The communique explains that in his original invitation Mr. Henderson made it clear that it was the desire of the British Government to resume regular relations with the Government of the Union of Socialist Soviet Republics and that responsible representatives of the latter would be welcomed with a view to discussion of the most expeditious procedure for settlement of outstanding questions, including debts and propaganda. Though the reply of the Soviet Government, to this invitation was somewhat ambiguous it was presumed that in offering to send M. Dovgalevsky to London the Soviet Government had authorised him to discuss the procedure for settling the outstanding questions on the lines proposed by Mr. Henderson. In their first interview, Mr. Henderson explained to M. Dovgalevsky the lines on which the British Government wished to proceed, and that he was anxious to avail himself of the present Parliamentary recess, in order to set up She necessary machinery for dealing with such outstanding ques-. tions as debts, claims and trade, etc. He felt sure that with goodwill on both sides, sufficient progress might be made to enable him on the reassembling of Parliament in October to report what had been achieved, that the principles on which a settlement could be worked out had been defined, and to request authority, even if complete settlement of all outstanding questions had not been reached, for exchanges of fully accredited Ambassadors between the two countries. The communique adds that the British Government would adhere to their desire to resume normal relations with the Soviet Government, and would take note that the Soviet Government will consider the new proposals of the British Government at their next session. To the communique is appended the text of the original invitation to the Soviet Government to send, a representative to London. The invitation was in the following terms: “His Majesty’s Government in the United Kingdom have carefully considered the existing state of relations between this country and the Union of Socialist Soviet Republics and are prepared to re-establish the normal machinery of diplomatic relations between Great Britain and the Union of Socialist Soviet Republics on the understanding that reciprocal rights and duties which international law recognises as incumbent on States in their relations nth one another, subject between this country and the Union of Socialist Soviet Republics; to send a responsible representative to London in order to discuss with the Foreign Secretary direct the most expeditious procedure for reaching, as rapidly as possible, a friendly and mutually satis factory settlement of outstanding questions between the two countries, including those relating to propaganda and debts.” i ’ '

SOVIET’S ATTITUDE

In the note handed to Mr. Henderson yesterday, M. Dovgalevsky said: “The Government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics have done everything on their side to facilitate rapproachement between the Union and Great Britain and resumption of normad diplomatic relations between the two countries. The fact, however, that the British Secretary for Foreign Affairs had stated to Dovgalevsky, the Soviet Ambassador to France, that it is impossible for the British Government to re-establish normal relations between two countries before a solution of questions outstanding between them shows that the British Government do not desire, or are unable to bring about a resumption of these relations. If such were not the case, the British Government would not have proposed, as a preliminary condition for re-establishment of normal relations, solution of questions so complicated and contentious as mutual claims and counter claims. This new circumstance, which was not foreshadowed by the Note from the British Government addressed to the People’s Commissariat for Foreign Affairs of July 17, requires fresh examination of the question. For that reason the People’s Commissariat for Foreign Affairs finds itself compelled to ask for fresh instructions from the President of the Central Executive of the Committee of the Union, which' will consider the new proposals of the British Government at its next Parliamentary session.”